Handbrake for railroad cars



P. J. ANDONlAN 3,444,756

May 20, 1969 HANDBRAKE FOR RAILROAD CARS Sheet Filed April 13, 1967 P 16245 a". ,m o/wfm May 20, 1969 P. J. ANDONIAN 3,444,755

' HANDBRAKE FOR RAILROAD CARS I Filed April 15, 1967 United States Patent "ice US. Cl. 74505 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The disclosure relates to a railroad car handbrake device adapted for under the car application in which a handbrake mechanism of the vertical end of car type is turned on its side and secured to the car underframe intermediate the sides of the car and between a pair of mounting plates that are respectively secured to the car sides, with the housing extending longitudinally of the car. Iournaled in the respective mounting plates are extensions for the handbrake operating and release shafts that are each provided with operating handles exteriorly of the mounting plates and positioned relative to the car wheels so that the handbrake may be readily operated from either side of the car by the brakeman standing at ground level. The handbrake parts are oriented so that gravity aids the holding of the handbrake mechanism against release, and the brake chain is enclosed in a sealing boot applied in sealing relation to the handbrake mechanism housing to shield the interior of the housing from dirt.

This invention relates to a handbrake for railroad cars, and more particularly, to improvements in the handbrake arrangements shown in US. Patents Nos. 2,318,569 and 2,848,083.

The handbrake arrangement shown in said Patent No. 2,848,083 is an improvement over that shown in Patent 2,318,569 and pertains to a non-spin vertical hand wheel type brake adapted for end of car application in which a two way brake release is provided whereby the brake may be operated for quick release or released gradually under the control of the operator.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a handbrake arrangement of this type adapted for under the car applications While providing all the benefits that have been had heretofore in the end of car application of such handbrake.

Another important object of the invention is to provide novel operating shaft and release shaft hand control arrangements for handbrakes of this type that permit full control of the handbrake from either side of the car at ground level.

Still other objects of the invention are to provide a generally improved handbrake arrangement that is economical of manufacture, convenient to install, and safe and efiicient in use.

Other objects, uses and advantages will be obvious or become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description and the application drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a car underframe showing a preferred embodiment of the invention as it is applied to the car;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the car underframe and handbrake arrangement of FIGURE 1, taken from the left hand side of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a horizontal sectional view of the handbrake shown in FIGURE 1 on an enlarged scale and taken approximately along line 33 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a side view of the improved handbrake substantially along line 44 of FIGURE 3 with parts broken away to expose other parts; and

3,444,756 Patented May 20, 1969 FIGURES 5 and 6 are diagrammatic fragmental plan views diagrammatically illustrating the integral lug type stop arrangement for the nut of the operating shaft in the basic handbrake mechanism unit that is preferred for use in connection with this invention.

However, it is to be distinctly understood that the specific drawing illustrations provided are supplied to disclose the general nature of the invention, and the invention may take other embodiments that will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

General description Reference numeral 10 of FIGURES 1 and 2 indicates one embodiment of the invention shown arranged at it would be applied to a railroad car in accordance with this invention, in which the brake operating mechanism is indicated at 12 and has the operating parts thereof contained in a housing 11. Handbrake mechanism 12 as illustrated is a basic end of car type handbrake unit made and sold by Universal Railway Devices Co. of Chicago, 111., U .S.A. under the trademark Universal.

As shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, handbrake arrangement 10 comprises a handbrake mechanism 12 turned on its side and secured to the underframe 13 of car 15. Operably associated with the mechanism 12 are shafts 17 and 19 (see FIGURE 1) provided with hand wheels 21 and 23, respectively, located at either side of the car for applying the brakes and effecting controlled release, and shafts 25 and 27 provided with operating handles 29 and 31 respectively for throwing the handbrake into full release to release the brakes. Hand wheels 21 and 23 and handles 29 and 31 are preferably located at the side of the car so that the operator may readily control the handbrake while standing at ground level by the side of the car.

Handbrake mechanism 12 includes a brake chain 49 that is connected to one end 33 of brake lever 35 pivotally connected to the underframe as at 37, with the other end 39 being connected to the brake rigging cylinder lever 41 that is mounted and operated in any suitable manner by brake cylinder 43. Cylinder lever 41 is connected to the truck brake levers in any suitable manner and in the form shown, the brake lever 35 is connected to the cylinder lever 41 by a rod member 45 having pivotal connection to lever 35 as at 47 and a lost motion connection to lever 41 as at 51.

Brake chain 49 is enclosed by a sealing flexible boot 49A (formed from rubber or a suitable plastic) that is applied between the end of the brake mechanism housing 11 and adjacent pivot member 53 to which the chain is secured for making the pivotal connection to lever 35 and this keeps the interior of housing 11 free from dirt.

Lost motion connection 51 of rod 45 permits normal operation of the brakes under the action of brake cylinder 43 and tension spring device 55 returns brake lever 35 and rod 45 to their running positions of FIGURE 1 after the handbrake has been released.

Specific description The handbrake mechanism per se is basically that disclosed in the USA. application of Eldred H. Natschke and Thomas J. Macku, U.S.A. Ser. No. 583,641, filed Oct. 3, 1966, now Patent No. 3,390,590, granted July 2, 1968, but is described in some detail herein to insure an adequate understanding of the operation of this invention.

The housing or mechanism 12 is in two sections comprising a front casing 14 and a back section or attaching plate 16 (see FIGURE 3) defining a body portion 18 formed with a pair of lower attaching lugs 20 and a pair of recesses 22 (see FIGURE 4), each formed with ap- 3 propriate bolt holes 24 for receiving appropriate bolts or the like to secure the back plate or section to the car where indicated in FIGURES 1 and 2.

The front casing 14 is secured to the back section or attaching plate 16 by appropriate bolts indicated at 26. The major portion of the brake operating mechanism 12 is mounted within this casing and in such a manner as to be removable with it.

The brake winding operating mechanism further comprises a brake drum that includes a flange portion 32 provided with an integral gear 34 at its rim for turning the drum. The gear and drum are preferably made in accordance with US. Patent 2,723,832 and thus the drum comprises a hub 36 defining a drum portion 38 and enlarged end portions 40 and 42 with the flange 32 being in the form of a dished plate 44 welded or otherwise secured to the hub enlarged portion 42 as at 46. The drum may be provided with suitable means for attaching the end link of the brake chain 49 to the drum and this may take the form of the chain anchor and guide described in said Patent 2,723,832.

The enlarged end 40 of the hub 36 is recessed to receive a brass bushing 50 that cooperates with a boss 52 formed in the front casing 14. The enlargement 42 is formed with a cylindrical portion 54 that receives a brass bushing 56 mounted in a dished bearing retainer 58 which is received in opening 60 of housing back section 16.

The gears 34 meshes with a pinion 62 journaled on a reduced portion 64 of operating shaft 66 to which the shafts 17 and 19 are coupled in the manner indicated in FIGURE 3.

The shaft 66 includes enlarged portions 72 and 74 which are respectively journaled in a brass bushing 76 and a Phosphor bronze bushing 78 mounted in the housing casing and back plate, respectively. Brass bushing sleeve 76 is received in a retainer element 80 that is similar to element 58 while bushing 78 is applied directly to opening 82 of housing section 14 by being pressed into same.

As indicated in FIGURE 3, the pinion 62 comprises a gear portion and a clutch collar portion 92 formed with a conical friction face 94 that is intended to cooperate with similarly formed friction face 95 of ratchet wheel 96. The other side of ratchet wheel 96 is formed with a similar friction face 98 that is intended to cooperate with friction face 100 of nut 102 that is threadedly mounted on a threaded portion 104 of pinion 62. In the form illustrated, friction clutch faces 94 and 95, and 98 and 100 are separated by annular brass cone members (not shown) that complement the respective surfaces therebetween and are free to float with respect thereto.

Operating shaft 66 is formed with a hex-shaped portion 106 on which is slidably mounted a jaw clutch sleeve 108 provided with jaws 110 that are proportioned and spaced to fit into recesses 112 formed in face 114 of nut 102 that define cooperating teeth of the nut that completes the toothed or jaw clutch between the operating shaft 66 and the nut that is generally indicated at 118.

The clutch sleeve 108 is provided with a radial flange which is engaged by a grooved cam. member 122 keyed to release handle shaft 124 that is journaled between casing 14 and a bracket plate 126 which is mounted therein. Cam member 122 includes a hub portion 130 that is received over shaft 124 and is formed with spaced indentations 132 that receive the similarly spaced projections 133 of the hub member 134 that is connected to shaft 27.

The cam member 122 is formed with a rim portion 142 defining a camming groove 1-44 in which the radial flange 120 of clutch sleeve 108 is mounted. The camming surface 144 is given the configuration that will move the teeth 110 of clutch sleeve 108 from the recesses 112 of nut 102 as, for instance, release handle 31 is moved from the full line position of FIGURE 1 to an upper position through an angle on the order of 84 degrees clockwise of FIGURE 2 (the full brake release position). Re-

lease handle 29 is operated in a similar manner but in a counterclockwise direction.

Also controlled by the release handles 29 and 31 is a pawl (see FIGURE 4) that is slidably mounted on a support plate 152 aflixed to the plate 126 in any suitable manner, which pawl engages in the teeth 154 of ratchet wheel 96. Pawl 150 is provided with an opening 156 (see FIGURE 4) in which is received the end 158 of operating arm or finger 160 that is journaled by headed pin 162 between the plate 126 and the supplemental bracket plate 164 mounted within the front casing 14.

Also mounted on the release handle shaft 124 is a holding pawl stop member 166 which is in the form of a sleeve portion 168 and a pawl engaging arm 170. The sleeve 168 is rotatably mounted on the shaft 124 and is provided with a pair of shoulders 172 and 174 that are about degrees apart. In accordance with disclosure of Patent No. 2,318,569, the shaft 124 is provided with a flange structure 176 at its inner end which is formed with a shoulder 178 for engaging the shoulder 172 of the sleeve 168 when the release handles 29 and 31 are moved to the brake holding position (that is, the full line position of FIGURE 2). The flange portion of shaft 124 is also formed with a shoulder 180 positioned to engage the shoulder 174 of sleeve portion 168 to move pawl engaging arm 174 out of engagement with the pawl as the release handles are moved to the brake release position.

The indicated flange portion of shaft 124 also includes a finger or lug portion 182 which engages under a shoulder 184 of pawl actuating arm or finger 160. These parts are shown in outline in FIGURE 4.

The parts associated with the pawl 150 are so con structed that when the release handles are in the full line position of FIGURE 2, the shoulder 178 of shaft 124 will engage the shoulder 172 of pawl stop sleeve 168 thereby holding the pawl stop arm 170 in the position shown in FIGURE 4 and against the pawl, which will thus be held against partial rotation; thus, the ratchet wheel is held from rotating in a direction which will release the brake (that is, a counterclockwise direction in the showing of FIGURE 4). But when the ratchet wheel is moved through a hand wheel 21 or 23 and the intervening clutch device 118 in a clockwise direction, the inclined surfaces of the ratchet wheel teeth 154 will engage the inclined surface 192 of the pawl thereby causing the pawl to slide upwardly and lengthwise of its axis until the tooth has passed the pawl whereupon the pawl will drop into the space between the next adjacent teeth for abutting engagement with the next toothed surface 189.

During upward movement of the pawl, the finger 160 will be moved by the pawl in a counterclockwise (of FIGURE 4) direction and since the shoulder 184 is in engagement with lug portion 182, the weight of handles 29 and 31 when released will tend to positively force the pawl downwardly between the teeth, in addition to the action of gravity on pawl 150.

The operation of the handbrake device 10 a so far described is as follows: Assuming that the handbrake is released, in its normal inoperative position the release handles 29 and 31 will be positioned in the full line position of FIGURE 2, which brings the teeth of clutch sleeve 108 into engagement with the teeth receiving recesses 112 of nut 102 and biases pawl 150 toward the ratchet wheel. Rotation of one of the hand wheels 21 or 23 in the direction to wind up the brake (clockwise of FIGURE 4) will turn nut 102 towards clutch collar 92 of pinion 62 and bind the ratchet wheel 96, the pinion 62, and the operating shaft 66 into one rotating unit which will rotate the drum 30 in the direction to wind up the brake. During this operation, the pawl 150 moves back and forth under the action of teeth 154 and gravity until the brake is set. The release handles 29 and 31 remain 5 in the full line position of FIGURE 2 so that when the brake is wound up and the pawl 150 is returned to its full line position of FIGURE 4, the brake is fully set.

If it is desired to gradually release the brake, one of the handles 21 or 23 is rotated to rotate shaft 64 in a counterclockwise direction (of FIGURE 4) a slight amount which will have the effect of loosening nut 102 and thus the clutching surfaces between ratchet wheel and pinion 66 so that the pinion will rotate with respect to the ratchet wheel and shaft 66 under the control of the operator, who by slight loosening or tightening movements can increase or decrease the frictional drag on the rotational movement of the pinion 62 and thus fully control brake release.

When it is desired to provide a free release of the brakes, one of the release handles 29 or 31 is moved upwardly from the position of handle 31 of FIGURE 1 through the indicated 84 degrees of rotation to the full release position, which withdraws the teeth 110 of jaw clutch 118 from recesses 112 of nut 102 and moves pawl engaging arm 170 out of contact with the pawl so that the ratchet wheel pinion and drum freely rotate under the tension in the brake rigging to release the brakes. As soon as the release handle being used is released, it automatically returns to the position indicated by the full line position of FIGURE 1 since it cannot be raised beyond the vertical position. It is preferred that stop pin 195 afiixed to bracket plate 126 or the like be disposed in the path of movement of cam member 122 to provide for the released position of handles 29 and 31.

Referring now to the details of FIGURES 5 and 6, in accordance with said application Ser. No. 583,641, the annular transverse face 200 of clutch collar 94 and the annular transverse face 202 of nut 102 (which define annular space 203 under ratchet wheel 96) are each provided with integrally formed lugs 204 and 206, respectively. Lugs 204 and 206 are each formed with opposing surfaces 208 and 210, respectively, that come into abutting relation at the end of the brake quick release action to stop rotational movement of nut 102 with respect to pinion 90.

When one of the hand wheels is operated to lock ratchet wheel 96 against movement with respect to pinion 66, nut 102 rotates relative to pinion 66 to move the lug 206 away from the lug 204, but to move lug 206 towards clutch collar 92 axially of shaft 66.

When the hand wheel is moved in the opposite direction to release the ratchet wheel for controlled release of the brakes, the lug 206 is moved towards lug 204, with the lug 204 serving as the limit of loosening action for the clutch holding ratchet Wheel 96.

When the brakes are given a quick release, the pinion and nut remain in clamping engagement with the ratchet wheel and spin freely on the shaft 66 under the action of the tension in the rigging on the brake chain, clutch sleeve 108 having been separated from nut 102. When the brake chain hits the chain stop 212 (which is an angle member secured within casing 14, see FIGURE 4), the motion of the pinion gear stops abruptly while the nut continues, under its own momentum, to rotate on the threaded portion of the pinion until its lug 206 engages lug 204 of the pinion clutch collar 92 This stops the spinning motion of the nut relative to the pinion. Without this means of preventing the continued spinning action of nut 102, the threading action involved would tend to create opposing thrust actions on the parts involved that would tend to force to the left the left-hand bearing of the hand wheel shaft 66 and bulge the casing 14 outwardly or to the left of FIGURE 3.

As indicated in said application Ser. No. 583,641, it is preferred that the pinion 62 including its clutch collar and lug 204 be one integral forged part While the nut member is preferably a composite unit comprising an outer rim member 220 which is one forged part including its lug 206 and a core member which is internally threaded to cooperate with the threading of the pinion threaded portion 104 that is also formed with the teeth receiving indentations 112. Members 220 and 222 of nut 102 are keyed together by diametrically opposed pins which hold these members against any relative shifting movement, which pins 226 should be locked in place by any suitable manner. These pins serve only as a direct shear connection between the parts of the nut 102.

The shaft 17 that couples hand wheel 21 to operating shaft 64 comprises a stub shaft 230 fixed to the operating shaft 64, as by welding at 232, which shaft 230 is keyed to a coupling member 234 by suitable pins 236. Fixed as by welding to coupling member 234 is tubular extension member 238 that is fixed as by welding at 240 to a shaft element 242 journalled in a tubular element 244 afiixed to mounting plate member 246 that is in turn fixed to the side of the car in any suitable manner in the position indicated in FIGURE 2 for the opposite side of the car. The shaft element includes a flange portion 248 keyed to a gear 250 that meshes with a gear 252 that is keyed to a stub shaft 254 (by pins 255) on which the hand wheel 21 is in turn keyed in any suitable manner for rotation therewith. The hand wheel stub shaft 254 is journalled in a tubular member 256 mounted in the mounting plate member 246.

The shaft 19 that couples hand wheel 23 to operating shaft 64 is similarly arranged except no gearing is employed between the operating shaft 64 and the hand wheel 23. Shaft 19 thus comprises a stub shaft 260 fixed to shaft 64 as by welding at 262 and that is in turn keyed to a coupling member 264 by suitable pins 266. Fixed as by Welding to the coupling member 264 is tubular extension 268 which is journalled in a tubular member 270 (see FIGURE 1) fixed to mounting plate 272 that is attached to the other side of the car in the same manner as mounting plate 246. Hand wheel 23 is keyed to tubular extension 268 in any suitable manner.

The shaft 25 that couples release handle 29 to release shaft 124 comprises a stub shaft 276 fixed as by welding at 278 to release shaft 124 and keyed to coupling member 280 as by a suitable pin 282. Tubular extension 284 is fixed to coupling member 280 as by welding and extends out to the side of the car on the hand wheel 21 side where it is journalled in a tubular member 286 fixed to a plate element 288 that is in turn fixed to mounting plate 246 (see FIGURE 3).

The release handle 29 comprises a bar 290 fixed as by welding to the outwardly extending end 292 of tubular extension 284.

The shaft 27 that couples release handle 31 to release shaft 124 comprises the hub member 134 that is formed with the projections 133 which cooperate with indentations 132 of cam member 122 and is journalled in the housing section 14 where indicated in FIGURE 3. Hub member 134 has a stub shaft 294 afiixed thereto as by welding at 296 which is keyed to a coupling member 298 by a suitable pin 300. Coupling member 298 is fixed as by welding to tubular extension 302 which extends out to the hand wheel 23 side of the car where it is journalled in a tubular member or sleeve 304 fixed to mounting plate member 272. Release handle 31 comprises a bar 306 fixed to the outwardly extending end of the tubular extension 302 as by welding.

It will thus be seen that with regard to the hand wheels 21 and 23, the gearing relationship provided by the gears 250 and 252, which may be of a one to one ratio, permits the operator to turn the hand wheels 21 or 23 in the same direction with respect to the car from the side that the operator is Working on and have the operational results outlined above. This avoids confusion from the brakemans standpoint. With regard to the release handles 29 and 31, the side of the car is preferably marked to indi- 7 cate the brake holding and released positions of the release shaft 64.

Preferably the hand wheels and the brake release handles are located at the side of the car at an elevation that will permit them to be readily operated by one standing on the track bed beside the car.

As indicated in FIGURES 3 and 4, the opening 310 provided by the end 312 of front housing section 14 through which the brake chain 49 extends is closed by a corner shaped cover structure 314 formed with an annular extension 316 to which one end 318 of boot 49A is secured in any suitable manner. The other end 320 of boot 49A is fixed to the chain 49 in any suitable manner adjacent pivot member 53, which is in the form of a clevis member 324 that is pivoted to the end 33 of brake lever 35 as at 326. Chain 49 is purchased to clevis member 324 by pin 322.

The brake lever 35 is mounted in place on the underframe on a suitable framing structure 328 which includes a stop member 330 that limits the movement of brake lever 35 clockwise of FIGURE 1 or in the brake release direction.

The tension spring device 55 acting on the brake lever 35 comprises a rod member 332 anchored at one end thereof to the underframe where indicated at 334 and having secured to the other end thereof a tension spring 336 that is in turn connected to the end 39 of lever 35.

The rod 45 comprises a clevis member 338 pivoted to the lever 35 as at 47. Rod member 45 at its other end is formed with an eye structure 340 which receives a pin 342 secured to the cylinder lever 41.

The running position of the handbrake arrangement is illustrated in FIGURE 1, in which position the eye structure 340 of rod 45 is positioned to permit normal operation of cylinder lever 41. When the handbrake is to be applied, one of the hand wheels 21 or 23 is rotated in the appropriate direction to wind up the brake chain 49 on drum 30, which pivots cylinder lever counterclockwise of FIGURE 1.

This action tensions spring 336 while at the same time boot 49A contracts longitudinally thereof as the chain 49 is wound on drum 30.

When the brakes are released, spring 336 and the tension in the brake rigging unwinds the brake chain 49 from the handbrake drum with the result that the parts return to the position of FIGURE 1.

It should be understood that the brake rigging in which cylinder lever 41 and brake cylinder 43 are incorporated may be of any conventional type arranged in the conventional manner.

It will therefore be seen that the invention has provided a highly practical and efficient non-spin vertical hand wheel brake arrangement that may be operated with facility from either side of the car. This handbrake arrangement also provides the desirable two way release operation which permits either quick release of the brake or a controlled release under the control of the brakeman.

The foregoing description and the drawings are given merely to explain and illustrate my invention and the invention is not to be limited thereto, except insofar as the appended claims are so limited, since those skilled in the art who have my disclosure before them will be able to make modifications and variations therein without departing from the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A railroad car handbrake arrangement for under the car application in association with the car underframe, said arrangement comprising:

a pair of vertically disposed mounting plates spaced apart for alignment with and adapted to be attached to the respective sides of the car,

said plates being in opposed, substantially parallel relation,

a handbrake mechanism disposed between said mounting plates,

said handbrake mechanism including a housing, an operating shaft journaled in the housing, pinion and ratchet means mounted on the shaft with said pinion means comprising a pinion rotatably mounted on the shaft and including a threaded portion, a nut mounted on the pinion threaded portion and a ratchet wheel rotatably mounted on the pinion between friction clutch faces of the pinion and nut and including friction clutch faces on either side thereof adapted for cooperation with the friction clutch faces of the pinion and nut respectively, a jaw clutch shiftably keyed to said drive shaft and adapted to clutch and unclutch with respect to said nut, brake holding means including pawl means mounted in said housing and releasably cooperating with said ratchet wheel for holding said brake against release, release means including a hand lever release shaft journaled in said housing and means for controlling said pawl means and for clutching and unclutching said jaw clutch to release the brake, a brake winding drum journaled in said housing and coupled to said pinion, with said shafts being in parallel relation,

said housing being oriented to horizontally dispose said shafts normally of said mounting plates,

said housing including mounting means for suspending same from the car underframe,

a first operating shaft extension having one end thereof made fast to one end of said operating shaft and the other end thereof journaled in one of said mounting plates,

8. second operating shaft extension having one end thereof made fast to the other end of said operating shaft and the other end thereof journaled in the other of said mounting plates,

said shaft extensions respectively being aligned with said operating shaft,

a first release shaft extension having one end thereof made fast to one end of said release shaft and the other end thereof journaled in said one mounting plate,

a second release shaft extension having one end thereof made fast to the other end of said release shaft and the other end thereof journaled in said other mounting plate,

said release shaft extensions respectively being aligned with said release shaft,

said brake mechanism being oriented to dispose said pawl means for biasing by gravity into cooperation with said ratchet wheel,

a hand wheel coupled to said first operating shaft extension and positioned outwardly of said one mounting plate for operation at one side of the car,

a hand wheel coupled to said second operating shaft extension and positioned outwardly of said other mounting plate for operation at the other side of the car,

a release handle secured to said first release shaft extension and positioned outwardly of said one mounting plate for operation at said one side of the car,

a release handle secured to said second release shaft extension and positioned outwardly of said other mounting plate for operation at said other side of the car,

said release handles extending laterally of their respective release shaft extensions,

stop means for limiting movement of said release shaft between brake holding and brake release positions,

said release handles moving between downwardly inclined and upwardly inclined positions on the same side of the respective release shaft extensions when same are swung from their brake holding to their brake release positions,

said release handles when released by the operator acting under gravity to bias said pawl means through said release shaft into cooperation with said ratchet wheel,

a brake chain windable on said drum and having one end made fast to the drum for rotation therewith and the other end thereof adapted for connection to the car brake rigging,

said chain extending from within said housing through a port formed in said housing adjacent said drum,

and a contractible protecting boot received about said chain and secured between said housing port and said other end of said chain for sealing off the inside of said housing,

whereby, either of said hand wheels may be operated to rotate said operating shaft to wind up the brake and provide controlled release of same through said jaw clutch and nut, and either of said release handles may be operated to move same between said positions thereof to rotate said release shaft to unclutch said jaw clutch and release said brake.

2. The handbrake arrangement set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said release handles in moving between said positions thereof move through an angle on the order of 84 degrees.

References Cited FOREIGN PATENTS 3 85,910 3 1965 Switzerland.

FRED C. MATTERN, ]R., Primary Examiner.

C. F. GREEN, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

